Every year at this time, the Whidbey News Group newspapers, including the South Whidbey Record, go pink.
It’s all in observance of National Breast Cancer Month.
From the NFL to individual social media pages and from sports jerseys to Band-Aids, the world turns pink during October in a unified effort to raise awareness about breast cancer and raise money in hopes of saving lives.
During October, the South Whidbey Record is once again donating $5 for each one-year subscription or $10 for a two-year subscription to Soroptimists International of Oak Harbor’s mammogram program. You’ll find the form on page 28 of today’s newspaper.
Also, 10 percent of the net proceeds from “Pink” ads in this edition of the News-Times will be donated to the Soroptomists’ mammogram program.
The program helps to pay for mammograms for women who would otherwise be unable to afford one.
According to statistics, mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the United States by nearly one-third since 1990.
According to the National Cancer Institute, early detection of breast cancer with screening mammography means that treatment can be started earlier in the course of the disease, possibly before it has spread.
Results from randomized clinical trials and other studies show that screening mammography can help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 74, especially for those over age 50.
Getting a high-quality screening mammogram and having a clinical breast exam on a regular basis are the most effective ways to detect breast cancer early, according to the Institute.
Checking one’s own breasts for lumps or other unusual changes is called a breast self-exam, or BSE. This type of exam cannot replace regular screening mammograms or clinical breast exams. In clinical trials, BSE alone was not found to help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer.
The following locations on Whidbey Island offer mammogram screening:
— Whidbey General Hospital, 101 N. Main St., Coupeville 98239. Phone is 360-678-7656 and the website is www.whidbeygen.org/.
— Oak Harbor Naval Hospital, 3475 N. Saratoga St., Oak Harbor. Phone is 360-257-9630 and the website is www.med.navy.mil.
During the month of October, think pink — and think mammogram. If for no other reason, women should get one for peace of mind.
